Our Strategic Plan points us in the direction we need to go as we carry out our mission and live out our values within the communities we serve.
CAC First Fridays
Monthly Strategy Updates from our President and CEO
October 3, 2025
Keith Pitts, President and CEO
“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.”
~Helen Keller
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
~Coretta Scott King
“The older I get, the more convinced I am that the space between people who are trying their best to understand each other is hallowed ground.”
~Fred Rogers
Standing Strong Through a Federal Shutdown
Every once in a while, our democracy demands that we hold fast to what matters most, and when Washington grinds to a halt, what matters most doesn’t vanish. It just becomes more fragile.
We’re living in one of those moments.
As of 12:01am October 1, 2025, the federal government has entered a shutdown: Congress did not pass the necessary appropriations, and so many programs and services now stand in limbo.
We are currently on day two of the current partial federal government shutdown, and we are (so far anyway) still able to draw down funds for the vital services that we deliver to our community. This message is not about political parties, pointing fingers or posturing, but rather about holding strong to our core values and doing our best to continue being a beacon of hope for our communities and those that are most at risk in them. This shutdown isn’t just a dispute over numbers or budget lines. What’s at stake is the safety net communities depend on.
The Real Impacts. Not in Footnotes, But in Lives
Let me be clear: when government funding stalls, community action doesn’t stay the same. It changes. It stretches. It strains. And it is tested.
Nonprofits Waiting for Payments
Many community organizations operate on tight margins. We deliver services today with the expectation that reimbursement will come tomorrow. When government offices furlough staff, those reimbursements can slow down. That means shelters, hotlines, food banks (organizations that anchor lives) may suddenly find themselves short.Service Disruptions, Program Cuts, Halted Expansion
Grants get held up. Contracts go unsigned. Projects to build affordable housing, expand clinics, improve infrastructure either delay or get shelved. Meanwhile, the needs of families don’t wait.Public Health Under Pressure
A large part of community health depends on federal support. This includes funding that forms the foundation of local clinics like ours that provide vital care to vulnerable populations. In the case of a prolonged shutdown, many of those supports can be reduced or slowed.Vulnerable Populations Feel the Sting Most
When the safety net frays, the people on the edge are the ones who feel the tug first. Families dependent on nutrition assistance, early childhood programs, rental support. Those families have less time, fewer buffers, and are less able to absorb interruption.Trust, Morale, Volunteer Fatigue
It’s easy to forget that community work is powered by people (staff, volunteers, leaders) whose energies are finite. Uncertainty, delays and burnout take a toll. And when communities see services vanish or flicker, confidence erodes.
What Must We Do Together
Speaking frankly: the opponents of progress in Washington may treat this as a chess game. But for people in the heart of our communities, this is about dignity, security, and opportunity. Where they see delay, we must bring momentum. Where they see uncertainty, we must bring clarity. Where fear threatens, we must bring hope. We will pass the test.
Here is what we must do:
Strengthen Local Resilience
Community organizations, local governments and faith groups; we all have to prepare contingency plans. Build whatever emergency reserves we can while we look for flexible funding. Strengthen cross-sector collaborations so that when one organization falters, others help lift up the system. We are in better shape than many of our sister agencies in this regard as we have a strong reserve base.Prioritize Critical Services
In times of contraction, triage becomes necessary. We have to decide what must remain open (food assistance, crisis intervention, shelter, basic health access) and protect those first. The specifics of our contingency plans are dependent upon the length of the shutdown, as well as our access to expense reimbursement from our funders. Right now, we are “business as usual”, but we assess operations on a daily basis. I will communicate any changes as they appear.Amplify Advocacy and Provide Opportunities for the Community to Speak
Legislators and decision makers must see the human cost. Let them hear from parents, from teachers, from frontline workers: the child whose preschool might close, and the family waiting for rental help.Hold Leaders Accountable — Demand Action, Not Delay
Partisanship cannot excuse inaction. When the systems people rely on are endangered, we must call for urgency. We have to demand that leaders reconvene, compromise, and act before more damage is done.
A Vision Worth Holding On To
I’ve always believed that the greatness of our community lies in singular acts of compassion. In a neighbor who helps a neighbor. In an organization that sees someone in trouble and says, “We’ll be there.” In a community that refuses to let its most vulnerable fall through the cracks.
A shutdown threatens those acts of compassion. It strains the scaffolding that holds communities together. But it does not destroy the spirit that built them. We must fight to keep the lights on, not for the sake of bureaucracy, but for the sake of people’s lives, hopes and dreams.
Because when the government falters, community action doesn’t just fill gaps — it becomes the bridge, the safety net, the anchor. It’s time to step up.
Let’s show that even in a time of gridlock, our government may shut down, but we will persevere.
Until next time…